X Square

Across Tzahal Square, the ghosts of Jerusalem’s past whisper. Tzahal Square stands at the crossroads of Jaffa and King Shlomo Streets, a stone’s throw from Jaffa Gate and the New Gate. This isn’t just a square. It’s a time capsule, layered with the echoes of empires. In the 19th century, under Ottoman rule, Tzahal Square emerged from the dust, a meeting point for all roads leading to Jerusalem. Jaffa Road, Hebron Road, the path to Jericho, Nablus, and Gaza. All converged here. As the city expanded beyond the Old City walls, European powers erected churches and monasteries. The square buzzed with donkey carts and pedestrians. The Ottomans established a post office, renaming it Post Office Square, hoping mail delivery would be quicker than today’s. Then came the British, led by General Allenby. In 1924, a clock tower arose, replacing the Ottoman one at Jaffa Gate. Allenby Square, they called it, another conqueror’s mark on the city. The 1930s saw the construction of Jerusalem’s City Hall and Barclays Bank. Imagine, a stern English clerk providing account statements, tea in hand, in the sweltering August heat. By 1934, the clock tower was deemed a traffic obstacle and demolished. Small hotels sprang up, catering to pilgrims. During the War of Independence, Tzahal Square became a dividing line. Mines littered the ground, a concrete wall separating the new city from the old. Jordanian snipers lurked within the Old City walls, their bullets targeting the city hall, now an IDF observation post. Municipal employees became unsung heroes, dodging bullets during coffee breaks. Today, bullet marks still scar the walls. In 1967, the Six-Day War reunited Jerusalem. Tzahal Square, its final name, a tribute to the Israel Defense Forces. The protective wall crumbled. Buildings erected by Jordanians were razed, creating a promenade to Jaffa Gate. The square, once a battlefield, returned to its role as a vital intersection. In 2005, a tunnel was dug, connecting Nablus Gate to Jaffa Gate. Architect Moshe Safdie reimagined the square, making way for the light rail in 2011. Tzahal Square. A place where donkey carts once mingled with British clerks, now traversed by the sleek light rail. The clock tower is gone, the snipers silenced, but the stories remain, etched in stone and memory.